


Just a Graze

by goldenhawkk



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor got hurt, Delayed realization, Hurt No Comfort, I made an OC for this fic and I kinda fell in love with him, M/M, Markus is worried, Realization, Whump, hidden wound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22247563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenhawkk/pseuds/goldenhawkk
Summary: When Connor got hurt on a chase, he was thrown into emergency surgery.Everything (probably) goes right.
Relationships: Connor/Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Upgraded Connor | RK900/Josh
Comments: 13
Kudos: 79





	Just a Graze

**Author's Note:**

> This was a challenge where we had to write a fic in around 26 hours for the prompts delayed realization and hidden wound! I'm a little over the deadline but oh well it was fun

Connor is a fucking idiot. It’s official. He’s the stupidest android police detective ever. 

Connor was chasing a criminal across Detroit, his inner GPS telling him that he was nearing two miles of running, so the perp was most likely an android. Connor was obviously pissed, another stupid android killing people and pushing back the process of android rights, so with his stupid emotions clouding his judgement, he didn’t see the criminal pull out a gun. Instead, he found out when the gun went off and grazed his connector column, where the human spinal cord would be. And the perpetrator got away from him.

“Connor!” The lieutenant smacked his head. Completely fair, to be honest, Connor was being stupid and let the perp get away. He knew Hank was disappointed. Hank pulled him into a hug. “I thought you were gonna straight right off the fuckin’ building, you stupid son of a bitch.”

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant. I should’ve been faster.”

“Shit, Connor, you think I’m mad at you for not catching him? Ah, hell, you obviously are. I’m mad at you for putting yourself in so much fucking danger. You got shot in the back for the love of God!” 

“Lieutenant, please, calm down. I’ll head over to New Jericho and get it checked out and be back at the precinct in no time!”

“I’ll drive ya, kid. Let me help you to the car, you got a helluva limp.”

“The shot must’ve knocked out some of the connectors from my motherboard. Josh should be able to fix it up easily.”

“Human terms?”

“The bullet grazed my spinal cord and severed the connection from my leg to my brain. And Josh should be able to fix it.”

“Fuckin’ androids.”

Hank wrapped his arm around Connor’s waist, letting him lean heavily against him. Connor swore quietly, a small shock going through his leg. Hank looked at him with concealed worry. 

“The wires must be randomly connecting and disconnecting from the walk. I’ll be fine, but it hurts like hell.”

Hank huffed. He gently helped him into the car, being careful with Connor’s back and leg. Another pain shot through his leg and he whimpered.

“Shit! Are you okay?”

“Fine, just hurts like a bitch.”

“This is the most I’ve ever heard you swear. You must be in a ton of pain.”

“No shit, Lieutenant! Sorry.”

Hank climbed into the driver side of the car and pulled out into the road quickly. He glanced over at Connor, just to see his face twisted up in pain. 

“Go ahead and do that freaky mental call thing with Josh. He needs to know how badly you’re hurt.”

“Lieutenant, it’s not that bad-”

“Connor, for the love of God, you can’t even walk correctly. _Call Josh._ ”

**_Calling: PJ500, Designation: JOSH_ **

_“Hello? Connor?”_

_“Hey, Josh! There’s been a problem and I’m going to need your assistance.”_

_“Are you okay? What happened?”_

_“I was chasing a criminal. Most likely an android due to their ability to run for almost two miles and not slow down. Male model, but I wasn’t able to see their face so I’m not exactly su-”_

_“Connor, I’m very interested, but how are you injured?”_

_“Oh! A bullet grazed by connector column and I lost control of my right leg.”_

_“Connor! Why didn’t you lead with that!”_

_“Because I’ll be- shit- fine!”_

_“I’ll get a surgery room ready. And, for the love of rA9, call Markus. I’ll see you when you get here.”_

_“Bye, see you soon.”_

Once Hank saw the yellow reflection turn back to blue, he spoke again. “What did he say?”

“He’s getting a room ready. Told me to call Markus to alert him of the situation.”

“You probably should. When he hears about this, he's going to flip his robo-Jesus lid.” Connor chuckled softly. “How the hell are you so calm? Even your mood ring is blue.”

“Well, since my connectors are severed, no pings of injury are coming through.”

Hank mumbled, “Fuckin’ androids… call your boyfriend!”

**_Calling: RK200, Designation: MARKUS_ **

_“Hey, baby, I’m in the middle of something important, so what do you need?”_

_“I’m going to get straight to the point. I was shot and my connector column was severed. I am unable to walk correctly, but Hank is driving me to Jericho.”_

_“Okay, I’m coming back, this isn’t as important as you.”_

_“Markus, please don’t leave, I’ll be fine-”_

_“Your connectors were severed! I’m coming back for support. See you in a bit.”_

Markus hung up before Connor could say anything else. He whimpered again as another jolt of pain ran up his spine. He’ll be fine. He just has to convince himself of it.

* * *

Josh is so tired. He hasn’t been in stasis for about two days because of the rise of anti-android crimes. Josh was put in charge of the medical wing at New Jericho and he’s been trained to help out with surgeries and checkups by the doctors and nurses, but it was so tiring.

He was ready to go into stasis for 72 hours and have some alone time with Nines when he randomly got a call from Connor. Connor is known not to actually call, preferring to text unless it was an emergency, so Josh was very concerned to say the least.

And when Connor told him his connectors were severed, he did all he could to not completely panic.

So, there he was, setting up a room for Connor’s surgery, because this was an actual, serious problem. 

**_Message from: RK200, Designation: MARKUS_ **

**_Coming over to the surgery station to help get ready. Message Nines to help Connor in_ **

He sent back a quick confirmation text before running into Nines. He looked down at Josh with concern.

“Hey, Josh, have you been into stasis today?”

“No, no, not yet. I ha-”

“You really should go into it soon. You’ve been awake for far too long, love.”

“I know, but I have to get a room ready-”

“Let someone else do it for once. You deserve a brea-”

“It’s Connor,” Josh accidentally blurt out. “He got hurt. Markus wants you in the front to help out with him, he’s having trouble walking.”

Nines’s eyes immediately filled with fear, but he tried to keep his face as steady as he could. Josh grabbed his hand and requested a quick interface. Nines sent through all the fear he felt suddenly and Josh sent back as much calm as he could manage. They only stood together for a second more before they had to depart from each other.

He rushed down to the farthest hall in the medical wing, or the fifth floor of the old Cyberlife tower, sending messages to his most trusted surgeons. He quickly fluttered around the room, sanitizing the tables and tools, setting up machinery to keep track of Connor’s vitals, and grabbing different scrubs for the doctors. 

**_Message from: RK900, Designation: NINES_ **

**_Connor’s arrived and I’m carrying him. Graze against the connector column, on the base of his neck. Both legs are nonfunctional. He seems very calm for the situation, but Markus is panicking._ **

**_Message to: RK900, Designation: NINES_ **

**_Doctors are getting ready now. Operation room 27, and Markus can stay in the observation room. Please try to keep him call_ **

After about a minute of the doctors getting ready, Nines turned the corner to the hallway, one arm under his knees and another gently cradling his neck. A little blue blood leaked onto his wrist. 

“Set him on the table, please,” a surgeon android named Lukas asked, his voice soft as he slid on latex gloves. “On his stomach. Then please leave. You can wait in the observance room. 

As Nines laid Connor on the table and Connor let out a staticky groan. Nines left the room after sending one last message to Josh, sending love and luck. 

Josh stood over Connor, brushing his hair away from his LED. He set his fingers on the circle. “We’re going to have to put you into stasis, is that alright?”

Connor let out a soft ‘mhm’ before Connor’s LED started to spin a subtle yellow. He stepped back, letting Lukas take over and Josh stays to the side mostly, handing tools and other things with the other surgeons. 

The surgery took an excruciating two hours to connect the wires back and weld the column, but in the end, Connor’s thirium showed steady on the screens and they looked to be pinging correctly, but of course, nothing can be sure until he wakes from stasis. Lukas pulled off his gloves, motioning the others to follow him out of the room. 

Josh was finally able to let out a sigh of relief. As soon as he saw him, he placed his head onto Nines’s and accidentally fell into stasis standing up. 

Markus is nervous to no end. He felt his pump skip a beat a few times when he saw a few too many sparks flying from Connor’s body during the surgery.

* * *

He kept repeating to himself, _what if he dies? If he dies, what the hell am I going to do? No, it’ll be okay. Connor will be fine._

Markus had to force himself to sit down in the chair between Nines the lieutenant multiple times to keep himself from breaking the glass and trying to fix him himself. Nines’s face was stone cold, but Markus was able to see the slightest twitch of his fingers when a sharp squeak came from the operation. Hank was leaning back, hand over his mouth, face clearly saying, _I need a fuckin’ drink._

When the opening was finally closed, Markus let out a sob of relief. He buried his head in his hands as Nines went to speak with the doctors. Hank patted his shoulder before going to talk to Lukas himself. 

When Markus finally looked up, he found Josh leaning on Nines, now in stasis. Nines sent him a quick message saying he was going to take Josh back to his quarters. Markus smiled softly. 

“Hey, Markus, Connor’s stable enough that once we move him, you can sit with him until he awakes,” Lukas said, walking up to the RK200. “I told the same thing to the lieutenant. He said he had to go back to the precinct, though. Send Connor his love.”

Markus felt he could cry again. “Thank you so much, Doctor.”

“Not a problem, Markus.”

It took only five more minutes for Connor to be rolled down the hall, so soon enough, Markus was sitting next to his bed, holding Connor’s hand. He was smiling softly as he ran his thumb over his knuckles. 

Connor’s eyes slowly fluttered open after another ten minutes, softly holding his hand back. “Hey, Marky.”

“Don’t you ever fucking do that again.”

“I’ll try.”

Markus leaned his head on chest, listening closely to the beat of his pump. Sure, the beeps coming from the pump monitor was helping Markus’s nerves, but nothing was quite the same. He felt Connor’s hand trace shapes onto the back of his head. Then, he started to feel something soak through the sheets. 

Markus opened his eyes to see blue blood. 

The monitor wasn’t changing at all, and the thirium monitor still said _96%._

“Connor? What’s happening?” 

“I- I don’t know…”

“I’ll get a doctor.”

Markus shot up from his seat, running down the hall. He turned a corner quickly to find Nines talking in depth to Lukas still in the main area. 

“Lukas!” Markus shouted. “Something went wrong.”

Lukas quickly followed behind him, Nines on his heels as well. Lukas’s eyes went wide at all the blood, Connor clinging to the wound desperately. He looked up at the surgeon. 

“What’s happening?”

“Nines, do a read on Connor’s vitals.”

“Thirium is only at 25%”

“Shit!” Lukas swore, pulling off the sheets and pulling up his shirt. A large crack traced out from where the chassis met the thirium pump. “Shit, shit, shit.” 

Lukas’s LED went yellow as he sent out messages. Markus’s brain became clouded with fear. He heard Lukas shout out orders to Nines and other new nurses, but it all turned to static as he kept his tunnel vision. Markus ran over and gripped his hand.

“You’re going to be fine, Connor, okay? You’re going to be perfectly okay.”

“Mark, I don’t wanna die, I really don’t, I want to stay with you and Hank and Sumo and Nines-”

“And you will, I promise you.”

Markus kept up with the cart as Nines pushed it down the hall. Markus opened an interface and sent through all the love he could. He kept holding his hand until he went back into the operation room and Connor was set up to a working monitor. He saw as the thirium levels slowly ticked down until it was at zero. 

Markus collapsed to his knees.

* * *

Lukas was a terrible doctor. He couldn’t stop seeing his blue blood on his hands, even when dressed in all black. 

It really is ironic, having a funeral on your second birthday.

Lukas thinks he doesn’t have the right to be sad, he didn’t know Connor. He just failed him. He wasn’t able to find the wound in the initial operation, and that why connor died. He lost too much blue blood when they moved him after the operation and the crack moved to the connector of his thirium pump, making it unable to even connect a new one. 

And Connor wasn’t able to detect it because they didn’t notice one wire. 

One damned wire.

The funeral wasn’t large. Just the leaders of New Jericho, Connor’s family, and a few other doctors that worked on the surgery with him. 

Josh was leaning heavily on Nines, Connor’s brother. Nines looked stoic, almost uncaring, until his fingers twitched as his father started his speech. He tilted his head ever so slightly into Josh’s.

Connor’s father, Hank, was trying his best to not look distraught. His speech was short, talking about how hard it was to lose another son ( _this is the second son he lost and it’s your fault,_ his brain supplied). His speech gave away the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

Markus was in the front row, leaning on North. His face was covered by his hands. Lukas knew what he looked like, though. He couldn’t erase the broken look on Markus’s face when he told him they told him they couldn’t bring them back. 

Simon stood at the back, blue eyes shot red, but was no longer crying. He seemed like he was trying to stay as far away as possible. His arms were crossed across his chest in a cold way, but his eyes gave away his emotions. 

After Connor was six feet under, he heard Josh apologize to Markus and Hank. He believed it was his fault for setting up the faulty monitor.

Lukas looked back at his hands. The blue was still there.


End file.
